Press-copying book



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIUS E. IVHITON, OF NEYV LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

PRESS-COPYING BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,963, dated December 24, 1889.

Application filed May 13, 1887- Serial No. 238.036- (No model.)

In the press-copying book to which my invention appertains signatures or sections under any given letter or head are independently removable when they are-filled and may be filedaway, a blank sect-ion being substituted to the place of each one so removed and filed.

In my former invention 1 contemplated removing the filled signatures or sections, one being used for each index-letter, and these sections, composed of the divisional leaves and interposed press-copyin g sheets, were supplied to the trade as an article of stationery supply. The divisional leaves of these sections were provided with a full row of indexed letters and were adapted to be cut and fitted by the user to expose any desired index-letter required by the particular place in the book for which they were designed. In this plan and in the book above referred to no record was left in the book of the place of filing the signatures or sections removed and no means were provided for tracing the location of any given record or letter which may have been copied in a previously-used section after its removal from the book. Further, it is necessary to fit each signature to its place by cutting the divisional leaf to expose the proper index-letter.

Theobject of the present invention is to produce a signature or section which, while including all the advantages of my former binding. Fig. 3 is a section showing the signature bound together.

In the drawings, A represents abook or temporary binder filled with signatures or divisions of letterpress copying-paper capa' ble of taking impressions from written or printed matter by the ordinary methods. These signatures are independent of each other and consist of a number of sheets of the press-copying paper stitched together, as shown, and provided also with a series of perforations independent of the stitching, by means of which they may be held in the temporary binder or other situation where they are to be used. Between each signature-0r section a divisional leaf B is placed, prefer ably of thicker paper, extending beyond the edge of the signatures and containing the I handling the book they may be grasped to turn over the different signatures, thus avoiding in a great measure the handling of the thin delicate leaves of the copying-paper.

As the book is used the letters copied therein are indexed in the copyingthat is to say, letters are copied in the division which bears the initial letter of the party addressed.

In making up the book I may make the division in size or number of sheets corresponding to the frequency of occurrence of any given letter in names of individuals that is to say, in the divisions markedA B H S more leaves are inserted than in divisions marked by initial letters of such infrequent use as X, Z, and the like; Experience indicates clearly the general rule governing the frequency of use of these initial letters; but it is not essential that this course should be pursued, as I have provided means by which the signatures may be readily removed as fast as filled and a fresh signature substituted therefor and a record kept ofthe place of filing of the independent sections.

As it is intended to remove the signatures as fast as they are filled and file them away in a filing-case, it is desirable to keep a record in the book in use of these filled sections, so that their location can be readily traced. I have therefore, as shown in Fig. 1, placed upon the under side of each thick divisionleaf an index C, consisting of horizontal and vertical lines forming columns of spaces for containing the record or memorandum of the number of thevolume or filing-case in which any given signature which has been filled may be found. The first three columns, for example, have the day, month, and year over them, indicating that the space immediately below contains the record-dates, and over these three columns is the word From. The

next three columns have the'same words over and is so marked, as shown.

ample, I wish to find a copy of a paper sent.

' to Grant in October, 1883. I find upon opening the book at the index-letter G a date-tab upon the first leaf of that section which shows that the earliest copy in the section was made in January, 1887; but as I wish to find where the copy of the letter has been placed which was made in October, 1883, I turn to the index which is on the page of the divisional leaf opposite and find that thesignature containing the letters press-copied between September 1 and December 31, 1883, is in Volume 2 of the filing book or case, to which I can readily turn, it being understood that these volumes are properly marked and that the signatures are properly arranged therein between similarlylettered divisionleaves. It will be understood, therefore, that when any given signature of thebook has been filled the signature may be taken out and filed away, leaving an entry onthe tabular index showing the dates which limit its record and the volume in which it has been filed. A fresh signature is put in its place, and, as this signaout, as described,while the divisional leaf and tabularindex remain in the book. The copying-book itself thus becomes a permanent book, the same cover and the same index lasting for years, while the signatures may be changed whenever filled.

The divisional or first sheet of heavy paper in the book is for the tabular index only. The second will separate the first and second signatures and will contain on its first page the index or divisional letter, and on the second page the tabular index for the second signature, and so on until the end.

The signature may be held in the book by means of fasteners passing through eyelets in the flanges D and through in the independent holes a in the signatures and divisional leaves.

\Vhile I have shown these independentlystitched sections of copying-paper with perforations adapted for temporary binding, other means for fastening may be provided.

The stitched signature adapted to be bound between divisional or index leaves constitutes an article of stationery supply.

So far I have shown the divisions or signatures separated only by the leaves bearing the index-letters. subdivided by separating them into twelve subdivisions indicated by date tabs or leaves bearing the names of the months in their proper order.

I claim as my invention- The signatures may be further 1. In a letter-press copying-book, and. in combination, a signature of ordinary copying-paper independently stitched or otherwise fastened together and adapted to be temporarily bound, and a separate divisional leaf for each signature, provided with an index-table and also adapted to be bound, substantially as described.

2. In a letter-press copyi11g-bool ,a11clin combination, a signature of ordinary copying-paper, and a divisional leaf connected independ ently'of the signature an d provided with an index-letter and an index-table, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIUS E. VVI-IITON.

\Vi tn esses:

D. E. WHIroN, E. L. WHIToN. 

